Madrid (EFE) ) already feels that he spends too much time in front of the devices.
The use of social networks, instant messaging applications and services has grown -among which WhatsApp continues to sweep-, virtual voice assistants, online purchases, systems for sending money such as “Bizum”, payments through the mobile or the smart watch and the viewings of television channels that broadcast only online.
And while the use of the network grows, so does the number of users who feel watched, of those who have the feeling that the mobile is “listening” to their conversations, and of those who express their concern that companies or governments control what they do.
The report “Navigantes en la red” prepared each year by the Association for Communication Media Research (AIMC) portrays the habits and opinions of Spaniards on the Internet, how this relationship evolves year by year and the impact that digital transformation has in society.
The director of the AIMC, Miguel Ángel Fontán, has stressed during the presentation of the report that the volume of valid interviews that have been carried out (19,000), although it is not as wide as the universe used for other studies of the same entity – like the EGM-, it is broad enough to know how the Internet evolves, as well as to detect and anticipate changes.
The report that the AIMC has been preparing for 25 years, and which was presented today at a press conference, highlights among its main novelties the increase in the use of social networks (already used daily by 80 percent of Internet users) and that among them Instagram continues to be “unstoppable” and has ousted Faceboook -which continues to drop-; behind them are Twitter, Linkedln and Tik Tok, although this has experienced a very significant rise in the last two years.
“Navigantes en la red” analyzes how the phenomenon of “influencers” has evolved and that a third of those interviewed follow one of them on the networks. The five most followed by Internet users are Ibai Llanos, María Pombo, Auron Play, Dulceida and Rubius.
Despite the rise of the metaverse and the fact that almost all navigators have heard of it, less than half understand what it is about, and only one in four find it interesting and half of those interviewed think that it is overrated.
Neither do digital assets “NFTs” (short for “non fungible token”) arouse much enthusiasm, because only 31 percent of Internet users know what it is and among them only 11 percent own any (in video games, works of art or properties in virtual worlds), according to the report, which does reveal that interest in cryptocurrencies is maintained (bitcoin, etherum and cardano stand out) although almost half of Internet users predict that they will lose popularity.
Half of the people interviewed state that they are connected to the Internet practically constantly and almost all connect several times a day, but the feeling that they spend too much time with their mobile phones, on social networks or on the Internet in general, It has already been installed in almost half of the population.
Connectivity extends to the home, and half of Internet users already have some of their household devices linked to their mobile devices, especially virtual assistants, lighting, security cameras, small appliances, smart plugs or heating and air conditioning.
Online purchases have also grown intensely in recent months, especially clothing and accessories; the use of applications such as Bizum to send money between individuals, and also the use of mobile phones or smart watches instead of credit cards.
The report “Navigadores en la red” reveals that subscriptions to newspapers and magazines have stabilized; that Spotify continues to dominate on-demand music services, although users of Amazon Music, YouTube Music and Apple Music have increased considerably; that viewings of television broadcasting over the internet are also increasing; or that the mixed work model (face-to-face and remote) is imposed, although the majority consider that teleworking improves the quality of life.